The Cello Explanation
by ItAllStartedWithABigBang
Summary: Explains why Leonard does not like his cello. And why he does not like birthdays. Penny asks a question that leads to an explanation. Set some time in the present. One shot. Enjoy. :)


**I came up with this idea because I play the cello and I always wondered why Leonard disliked it so much. This will also explain why he does not like birthdays. (we basically know why but I needed to elaborate on it a little.) I hope you enjoy and remember it all started with the Big Bang. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any thing. It's all Chuck Lorre's. **

* * *

"Hey, Leonard," Penny said sitting down next to him on the couch, "why do you hate the cello so much?" She looked toward him for answer.

"Where in the hell did that come from?" He cocked his head to the right, squinting his eyes.

"I have just always wanted to know…" she trailed off.

"Well…" he just looked at her trying to find the right words to say.

"Come on," Penny egged on, she was getting impatient, "you must like it enough to come to my door one day playing your version of 'Mary Had A Little Lamb' to apologize." The fact that Leonard said he 'hated' his cello always confused her because he seemed to enjoy playing it. He tended to bag on his cello a lot saying that it sounded like a dying bumble bee but to Penny it sounded beautiful. She was touched the day Leonard came to her door and played.

"I might as well tell you why I hate, er, dislike the cello so much." He paused wondering if he really was going to tell her this. "There was this spoken rule that when each Hofstader child turned five they were allowed to choose a hobby or activity."

* * *

"Mommy, Mommy!" A young Leonard said running into his mothers office. "Do you know what today is?" He looked up at his mom patiently waiting for an answer.

She was writing something in her notebook not looking away from it she uttered, "yes, I know what today is, it's the day I expelled you from my birth canal, other wise know as your birthday." Beverly looked above her glass at her five year old son.

"Yes Mommy!" Leonard clapped his hands together in excitement, "sooo…" he said rocking on the ball of his foot, "what did you get me?"

"What did I get _you_?" She responded putting down her pencil and closing her note book, looking at her son that was staring back eagerly at her. "I understand that it's _your_ birthday but in this house hold we do not give gifts. We simply acknowledge that it's your birthday and then we go on about our day."

Leonard looked up at his mother tears starting to form in the corner of his eyes. "Mommy, when Becky turned five she got to choose to play soccer on her birthday. Don't _I _get to choose an activity?" Leonard knew that they didn't celebrate birthdays and that he didn't get a gift but he always tested it out because he figured that his parents minds would change.

"Yes, Leonard you do get to choose an activity." Beverley said in a monotone voice, " but there are some restrictions on what you can choose." She paused swallowing, "Becky choose soccer because we gave her a spectrum of what she could choose from because we noticed that as a baby she loved to play with balls. So naturally we let her choose from a number of activities that used balls."

Leonard just looked at his mom with a confused look, "mommy what's a spectrum? And why do I have to choose off of it?"

"Leonard, I don't have all day. I'm wasting time having this conversation with _you_." She taped her foot on the floor. "Which question would you like answered the first one or the second?"

He considered it for a moment, "the first one." Leonard said pointing to the air.

"A spectrum is used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classified, in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme or opposite points." Beverly took in a deep breath. "Is that good enough?" She looked at her son, so young and so naive, she thought.

"Yes that is good. When will I get to look at this… this… spectrum, is that right?" He looked at his mom, Leonard wished that she appreciated him more. Like celebrating his birthday that was not going to happen.

"Later, tomorrow, I don't know Leonard." She was becoming impatient and Leonard could see that, "now like I said before I have important things to do so be on your way." Leonard hated when she told him that, he hated a lot of stuff she did, this he hated the most. Leonard barely knew what hate was but he understood that it meant not to like something so he was using it correctly he thought.

"Leonard, here's your spectrum of activities." Beverly said placing a paper in front of him on the kitchen table. "Now as you can see the spectrum ranges from dancing to playing the clarinet. I assume your wondering why it's ranged from that." She sounded like a drill Sargent giving orders, "it says this because when you were a baby we noticed that you liked to get up and move when music was playing. So I ranged it from dancing all the way to playing the clarinet." She sat down next to Leonard letting it sink in for a moment then continued, "what do you want to do?"

Leonard gave the paper a look over, "I wanna play the cello."

* * *

"Wait," Penny said interrupting the story, "you mean to tell me you choose to play the cello and that you were not forced!"

"I never said I was forced, now did I?" Leonard gave her a look cracking a smile. "Now let me get back to the story."

"Oh right yes." Penny said shaking her head in agreement.

* * *

"Can I?" Leonard said bouncing up and down in his seat, "please."

"Yes Leonard you can play the cello it was on that paper for a reason." Beverly was becoming more and more impatient with him. "Tomorrow we will go look for a cello and then you will start lessons."

"Ok, mommy thank you so much." Leonard attempted to hug his mom.

"What are you doing?" Leonard's mom said tensing up and twitching she hated when people touched her.

"I'm hugging you because I'm very happy that you are letting me play the cello." He looked up at his mom.

"Leonard, let go please." She said trying to pry him off of her.

"Ok mommy, I'm sorry." Leonard looked at his feet he. He forgot his mom did not like to be hugged.

"Thank you, now go to bed." She looked around the room, "goodnight."

* * *

"Leonard, first finger is blank in the G-string." She looked at him for an answer. He was looking out the window, "Leonard did you hear what I just said?"

"What," Leonard said coming back to reality, "what did you just say?"

"I said, the first finger is blank in the G-string." She looked at him impatiently.

Leonard did not love this teacher but he didn't hate her either. "Um," he said looking at his cello trying to figure it out, "first finger on the G-string is A right?"

"Yup, very good" she smiled, he looked sad she thought, "what's wrong?"

He looked at her then looked at his cello and back at her, "nothing's wrong. I'm just tired is all." But Leonard wasn't tired he was sad because when ever he asked his parents to hear him play they said maybe later and then never listened to him.

"Ok. Lets get back to work, play me a G-scale please." She said smiling at Leonard. He picked up the bow puts it to the string and began to play. It sounds beautiful, smooth and even.

The teacher, Kelly, says, "ok let's start the solo. What is that note and how do you count it?…"

Leonard started to day dream, he was playing but not really paying attention. All he could think about that it is his tenth birthday. He hoped this would finally be the year he would get a birthday party, he could feel it. Leonard smiled, he finished the song.

"Very good, Leonard." Kelly smiled back at him, "just a few things don't forget to use the third finger on the D-string for F-sharp not the second finger. But other wise all and all very well done. I think you will do great in the competition, just remember to relax and have fun."

"All right, thank you so much." He said as he put the end-pin in the cello. "I think I will do good. So you just saying that boost my confidence." Leonard smiled and put the cello into the case, picked it up and started to head out the door.

"Hey Leonard," he turned back and looked at Kelly, "happy birthday."

His smile grew from ear to ear. "Thank you Miss. Kelly. Bye." He waved and walked out the front door his mom was waiting out side.

As they pulled up to the house Leonard noticed all of the cars surrounding his house. Was his dream coming true? Is there a party for him? Oh he hoped so.

Leonard got out of the car as quickly as possible, grabbed his cello and followed his mom into the house. As soon as he stepped into the house it smelled like his favorite German chocolate cake. Maybe he was right. Leonard looked around and saw his cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandmother. But where was his grandfather?

Leonard put down his cello in the corner of the dinning room. "Where is grandpa?" He said out loud.

"He died." Said his cousin, Kate, bluntly.

"He died?" Leonard looked at her in disbelief. "Are you sure?" He cocked his head to the right. "Your not here for any other reason?"

"What other reason would we be here for?" She looked at him like she should know what his taking about.

"What other reason would _you_ be here for?" Leonard repeated Kate's question angrily, "don't you know what today is?" His temper rose, his voice gradually getting louder with every word he spoke.

"No I don't." She said absentmindedly.

"Today is my _birthday_." He said yelling at Kate.

"Oh, I didn't know that." She looked at him, "I'm sorry… happy birthday?" She offered, Kate didn't know if it was appropriate or not.

"Thank you!" He said storming off and running into his room.

* * *

"Oh is that what you told me about, around your birthday years ago?" Penny questioned getting up off the couch and heading to the fridge.

"Yeah, it was. That was the second worst birthday of my life."

"Oh yeah." She smiled, happy that she remembered correctly. "What was the first one?" Penny came back to the couch and handed Leonard a water.

"Thank you." He said taking the water from her. "That's an interesting story. Leonard said looking at her, "it all started on my seventeenth birthday..."

"Wait," penny interjected, "before you continue, is this going to answer my initial question?"

"Yes I think it will." He smiled. "As I was saying it all started on my seventeenth birthday…"

* * *

"Leonard, what did you get on the physics test?" He looked down at his paper. He got afifty-six.

A _fifty-six._

He never got anything below an eighty-five on a test or a quiz. He was going to be in big trouble and on his birthday. He showed his friend, Justin, his paper. "Wow that's bad dude. I got an eighty-two." He shows Leonard the paper.

"That's still good." Leonard was trying to cheer himself up.

"I never said it was a bad grade." Justin looked at Leonard.

_'Ring. Ring'_

"Oh good," Leonard said physics class was over, one more class then home.

In orchestra it's a tradition that they sing or play 'happy birthday' to every one even if they don't want it. Leonard was dreading this he hated his birthday because every year his parents made it miserable for him. By not giving then gifts it so much as a happy birthday.

He asked Mrs. Gimmel every year since freshmen year not to sing to him but she said that they must.

Leonard grabbed his cello from the side of the room walked up three of the risers and laid the cello on its side for a moment so he could raise the stand. As he was raising the stand a freshman's pant leg got caught in the end-pin and the cello tumbled down the three risers on to the floor. The beige was missing. Leonard started to panic he was going to be in so much trouble. One of the seniors found the bridge and helped him place it in the right spot. She began to tune it.

As this was happening out of the corner of his eye he say the conductor raise her hands, which means to put your instruments up. Leonard started to freak out again they were going to play and he was not ready. But as he started to hear the familiar sounds it was 'happy birthday'. Leonard tried to crack a smile, he could it was small thought.

The song ended, "all right class," Mrs. Gimmel said, "see you all tomorrow, and don't forget to say happy birthday to Leonard." He heard the ring of happy birthdays coming from all directions for him. Leonard was starting to dislike the phrase, "Happy birthday." They either mean it or its just like an average how do you do? And he hated it.

Leonard got home he couldn't wait to see Mizty and play his cello for her. She was the only one that listened to him and it was not because he was bad, he was amazing, nobody cared.

Leonard unlocked the front door, "hello is any one home?" As soon as he said this Mitzy came running toward Leonard almost knocking him down. "How's it going girl?" He said waiting for her to respond, "that's good. I'm doing fine, I guess…" Leonard put the keys in the bowl by the door and walked down the hall, Mitzy following him. "You want to hear me play my cello?" She barked, "of course you do!" He smiled.

Leonard walked into the dinning room to retrieve his cello, the room had a weird vibe to it like something was wrong. He looked around. Leonard spotted his cello, that he got for Christmas last year, on the floor smashed in pieces. Who would do something like this?

Leonard started to cry his sobs getting louder by the second, "why?" He screamed out.

"Why, what?" His little brother Mike walked in, he was 12. He looked at the cello then smiled, "oh that. Me and my friend thought we heard a bumble bee before. So I said that it must be coming from the cello because it sounds like a dying bumble bee." Mike looked at Leonard, "so we decided to smash it because we thought it was in there, turns out there was no bee in there."

"Why would you do something like that?" Leonard hissed walking over to his brother and shaking him. "Are you stupid that thing costs two-thousand dollars!" He was so angry at Mike.

"So." Mike said shrugging his shoulders.

"So," Leonard repeated, "your going to have to pay for this. Mom and dad are going to be so pissed when they get home."

"Woah, calm down Leonard. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big _deal_! Did you hear what I just said? It costs two-thousand dollars!"

Right before Mike was going to respond Beverly walked in the house. "What's all the yelling for boys?" Beverly said as she walked stiffly down the hall.

"Mike smashed my cello, just because he thinks it sounds like a dying bumble bee." Leonard said.

"I see," she looked at the broken cello on the floor, "well Leonard it looks like your going to have to buy yourself a new cello. If you wish to continue."

"What!" Leonard exclaimed, "are you serious?" He looked at his mother he was furious. "I didn't even break it, _he_ did." Leonard pointed at mike.

"Yes I understand. It doesn't matter your old enough to drive then your old enough to buy a new cello."

"Yes, I'm off the hook." Mike said under his breath then walked away quickly.

"What," he repeated again, "your really going to make me pay for something I didn't even do!"

"Yes." Beverly said dryly, "now go up stairs and do your homework."

"But-" Leonard started.

"Go do your homework. Dinner will be ready in a hour."

* * *

"Wow!" Penny sat in disbelief, "your brother smashed your cello and you had to pay for a new one, that's messed up."

"Yeah it is."

Penny reached over and hugged him, "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Your childhood. I thought mine was bad but that's just terrible."

"Yeah it sucked," he looked at the ceiling there was still little pieces of meatloaf on it, "the only time u was happy was when I played my cello. Then my brother ruined it for me making me hate it for the rest if my life." He looked at Penny, "the only reason I play it is because I know it brings joy to other people. Just like you." Penny smiled she loved at answer.

* * *

**Thanks for the reviews of my other story's. And reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks. :)**


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